Greenfields,
Brownfields and Housing Development
David Adams, Craig Watkins,
RICS Research Foundation
Blackwell Publishing

This book provides a powerful critique of America’s growing tendency to reduce the debate on housing development to a mere choice between greenfields and brownfield locations. Drawing on theories from economics and political science, Greenfields, Brownfields and Housing Development examines the institutional context within which residential development takes place and on the concerns of planning authorities, environmentalists, home builders and their customers.

Cradle to Cradle
William McDonough and Michael Braungart
North Point Press

Environmentalists are normally the last people to be called shortsighted. Architect McDonough and chemist Braungart call for a new kind of ecological consciousness. They argue that conventional, expensive eco-efficiency measures like recycling and emissions reduction are inadequate for the long-term health of the planet. What the authors propose in this clear manifesto is a new approach dubbed “eco-effectiveness”: designing from the ground up for both eco-safety and cost efficiency.

Turning Brownfields to Greenbacks
Developing and Financing Environmentally Contaminated Urban Real Estate
Robert A. Simons
Urban Land Institute (1998)

This book, written by Cleveland State University Professor Robert A. Simons, provides one of the few financial views of brownfield development. It also offers useful financing models and cost comparisons. � But even more impressive is the offering of case studies from all over the globe. The combination of practical analysis with real case examples undoubtedly makes this publication a must read.